US President Donald Trump attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 27, 2026. © 2026 Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images

Andy: The US government’s abrupt cuts to nearly all foreign aid last year harmed the global human rights movement – and it’s since put countless people at risk.

These foreign aid cuts have only made it that much harder to document human rights violations, protect communities at risk and hold human rights abusers to account.

To meet this moment, we’ve UPGRADED our 3X match to 5X – so please: Will you make a 5X-matched gift now to help us defend human rights?

5X MY GIFT

Recently, we examined the impact of aid cuts worldwide. Take a look at some of our findings:

In Afghanistan, the Taliban have cracked down on all forms of dissent and imposed severe restrictions on independent reporting. The loss of foreign aid forced dozens of outlets to close or lay off their staff. Many outlets that moved their operations outside Afghanistan have continued to rely on staff operating inside the country and on international financial support.

5X MY GIFT

In Bangladesh, where over one million Rohingya refugees, including some 437,000 school-age children, live in overcrowded camps, cuts in US aid meant that children lost their access to education, jeopardizing one of the few stabilizing elements in their lives.

5X MY GIFT

Throughout Latin America, the closing of Safe Mobility Offices, the total suspension of US refugee resettlement, the termination of US financial support for nascent asylum systems in the region, and the blocking of other safe and legal pathways for refugees seeking protection, has left asylum seekers fleeing violence and persecution without lifelines, trapping them in place or forcing them to undertake dangerous journeys for their survival.

5X MY GIFT

Andy, as authoritarianism and global crises rise, we urgently need you to make a 5X-matched gift today to support our work worldwide. Please, will you give now to help us document and investigate human rights abuses, expose the truth and hold officials accountable to their human rights obligations?

Thank You,

Brian Peterson
Managing Director, Direct Response
Human Rights Watch

*** Individual gift match capped at $10,000

DEFEND RIGHTS. SECURE JUSTICE.

Human Rights Watch investigates and reports on abuses happening all around the world. We are roughly 550-plus people of 70-plus nationalities who are country experts, lawyers, journalists and others who work to protect the most at risk groups and civilians in wartime, to refugees and children in need. We direct our advocacy toward governments, armed groups and businesses, pushing them to change or enforce their laws, policies and practices. To ensure our independence, we refuse government funding and carefully review all donations to ensure that they are consistent with our policies, mission and values. We partner with organizations large and small across the globe to protect embattled activists and to help hold abusers to account and bring justice to victims.

Our work is organized around three pillars:

Investigate: Our researchers work in the field in 100+ countries, uncovering facts that create an undeniable record of human rights abuses.

Expose: We tell the stories of what we found, sharing them with millions of social media and online followers each day. News media often report on our investigations, furthering our reach.

Change: We meet with governments, the United Nations, rebel groups, corporations and others to see that policy is changed, laws are enforced and justice is served.

Your support will power our work to investigate human rights abuses, expose the truth and hold perpetrators accountable in 100+ countries.

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